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With a crack, the four of them appeared in the darkness of Hogsmeade, smiling at each other for the briefest of moments, before a loud alarm screeching through the village made terror pang in their stomachs.
Hermione darted inside a pub garden as wizards raced outside into the snow, screaming for searches. The alarm faded as they hid behind an upturned table.
Ron and Lori linked hands as they tried to calm their breathing, the sound of table cloths being whipped upwards striking deep in their ears.
Just as a wizard was about to round on them, the alarm wailed again. Waiting for a few moments, they raced up a back alley, running straight into a barred gate.
"In here, Potter." an old man urged as he opened the door.
Harry went in first, following some stone steps into a cellar, lit by flaming lanterns, dappled shadows cast on the drab, grey walls.
"Did you get a look at him?" Ron asked his sister as they joined him, "For a second, I thought it was..."
"Dumbledore." Hermione cut in. She moved over to a small mirror on the wall, where a small chunk was missing, Harry's face reflecting out of it, "Harry? I can see you in this."
Harry looked at her in confusion, holding his shard up to it with a grim look.
"You bloody fools." the man said as he followed them, "What were you thinking coming here? Have you any idea how dangerous it is?"
"You're Aberforth," Harry interjected, "Dumbledore's brother. It's you who I've been seeing in here. You're the one who sent Dobby."
"Where have you left him?"
"He's dead." Harry mumbled sadly.
"Sorry to hear it, I liked that elf."
"Who gave that to you?" Harry pointed at the dusty wall behind him, "The mirror?"
"Mundungus Fletcher, about a year ago."
Fire blazed in Harry's eyes, "Dung had no right. It belonged to..."
"Sirius," Aberforth finished for him, "Albus told me. He also told me you'd likely be hacked off if you ever found out I had it, but ask yourself, where would you be if I didn't?"
Setting four mugs of butterbeer on the table with a smile, Aberforth watched as they each grabbed a mug.
"Do you hear from the others much?" Lori asked after taking a grateful sip, "From the Order?"
"The Order's finished." he replied bitterly, "You-Know-Who's won. Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves."
Harry, stood by a painting of young girl, chimed in, "We need to get into Hogwarts, tonight. Dumbledore gave us a job to do."
